1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for searching a start position of a broadcast program, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for searching a start position of a broadcast program which is recorded in a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital broadcast receivers, such as a set top box (STB), for receiving digital broadcasts are widely popularized. Recently, a digital broadcast receiver having a Personal Video Recording (PVR) function which is capable of recording broadcast programs in a recording medium such as a hard disc drive (HDD), is developed and popularized.
The digital broadcast receiver, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a tuner 10, a signal processor 11, a MPEG decoder 12, a microprocessor 13, an OSD generator 14, a memory 15, a HDR (HDD Recording) system 16, a hard disc (HDD), etc.
The microprocessor 13 controls the tuner 10 to select an arbitrary broadcast channel according to a user's request, and controls the signal processor 11 and the MPEG decoder 12 to output a broadcast program received through the broadcast channel as audio and video.
Also, the microprocessor 13 controls the HDR system 16 to record, in real time, a broadcast program being received in the HDD 17, according to a user's request.
In the HDD 17, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a header area, a File Allocation Table (FAT) area, and a data area are divided and allocated.
When recording broadcast programs in the data area of the HDD 17, the microprocessor 13 creates first, second, and third program information Program#1_Info, Program#2_Info, and Program#3_Info respectively corresponding to first, second, and third broadcast programs Program#1, Program#2, and Program#3 sequentially recorded, and records the first, second, and third program information Program#1_Info, Program#2_Info, and Program#3_Info in the FAT area. The first, second, and third program information Program#1_Info, Program#2_Info, and Program#3_Info include addresses Add# of data sections in which the respective programs are recorded, data sizes, reproduction times, etc.
If a user requests reproduction of an arbitrary broadcast program, for example, the third broadcast program Program#3, the microprocessor 13 reproduces the third broadcast program Program#3 from its recording start position with reference to a start address Add# included in the corresponding third program information Program#3_Info.
However, a digital broadcast receiver having a general PVR function creates the corresponding program information and records it in a FAT area after a data recording operation of recording a broadcast program in a HDD is terminated. Accordingly, when a user requests reproduction of a start part of a broadcast program which is received and recorded in real time, it is difficult to quickly search a recording position corresponding to the start part of the broadcast program.
Also, although a broadcast program which is received and recorded in real time changes to a new broadcast program while a data recording operation is performed, the digital broadcast receiver manages only the recording position of the broadcast program received when the data recording operation has been started, without separately managing a recording position of the new broadcast program. Accordingly, it is difficult to quickly search a recording position corresponding to a start part of a broadcast program which a user currently listens and views.